The 10 most overhyped songs of 2018

Tabatha Fireman/Getty ImagesPost Malone’s ‘I Fall Apart,’ ‘Better Now,’ and ‘Psycho’ were some of the most-streamed songs of Spotify in 2018.

For a music culture dominated by shareable playlists and free listening services, the streaming giant Spotify can offer an extremely accurate look at what songs are capturing our attention at any given moment.

Some of those songs, however, are more deserving than others.

We took a look at Spotify’s weekly charts and combined the streaming numbers for 2018 until the beginning of December. From the top 50 most-streamed songs on our list, we chose the 10 worst in order to determine the most overhyped songs this year – ranked in order of ascending popularity.

10. “FEFE (feat. Nicki Minaj & Murda Beatz)” by 6ix9ine

6ix9ine – also known as Tekashi69, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez – is a 22-year-old Soundcloud rapper. He achieved mainstream credibility with “FEFE,” a nettlesome and underwhelming track that features some of Nicki Minaj’s laziest bars to date.

8. “Love Lies (With Normani)” by Khalid

Both Normani and Khalid have gorgeous vocals and undeniable star power, which makes “Love Lies” all the more unsatisfactory. It’s not bad at all, but a collaboration between these two massive talents could have yielded something far more emotional, far more convincing – especially when given such a dramatic, sultry premise.

Ultimately, beneath the stunning vocal performances, “Love Lies” is just too boring to be so popular.

7. “Meant to Be (Feat. Florida Georgia Line)” by Bebe Rexha

Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesBrian Kelley, Bebe Rexha, and Tyler Hubbard performed ‘Meant to Be’ at the 2018 Country Music Awards.

Number of streams: 442,727,337

Bebe Rexha is an accomplished songwriter with a uniquely throaty voice, but compared to some of her funkier and sassier hits, this country-infused tune falls flat.

“Meant to Be” is essentially the musical equivalent of a three-day-old cinnamon roll. Overall, it’s thoroughly average, but it ends up feeling like a flavourless indulgence that you had hoped you’d enjoy more.

6. “Happier” by Bastille and Marshmello

Ian Gavan/Getty Images for MTVFrontman Dan Smith of Bastille and DJ Marshmello perform on stage during the 2018 MTV EMAs.

Number of streams: 505,677,523

With Dan Smith’s smooth vocals and Marshmello’s radio-friendly track record (“Wolves” with Selena Gomez is one of my personal favourites; “FRIENDS” with Anne-Marie cracked the top 10 on our most-streamed list), this song simply should have been better.

Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with cheesy lyrics layered on top of shamelessly catchy electro-pop, but there’s nothing new here – just a gimmicky beat drop and a music video about a dog.

The video, which was released conjointly with the version of the song that features Cardi B, has an admirable message – but it’s really just a cheap knock-off of Drake’s “Nice for What” that doesn’t make any sense paired with the song’s romantic lyrics.

Frontman Adam Levine sings about needing a “girl like you,” but never explains what that actually means. It sounds like their label thought they could use a boost from Cardi B (who couldn’t?) and just threw her star power into an otherwise average song about making up with your girlfriend.

4. “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey

Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesZedd and Maren Morris performed ‘The Middle’ at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.

Ultimately, however, it’s more annoying than award-winning. Maren Morris has impressive range, but “The Middle” is a poor use of her voice. It’s the kind of song that sounds really good when you’re drunk at a party, but you’re kind of embarrassed to admit that you like it when you’re sober.

3. “One Kiss (With Dua Lipa)” by Calvin Harris

Considering Calvin Harris’ cascade of 2017 bops, like “Slide” and “Heatstroke,” the excitement for “One Kiss” was completely understandable – especially when it was revealed that Harris’ talents would be paired with Dua Lipa’s knack for powerful pop bangers like “New Rules” and “IDGAF.”

And so, all things considered, “One Kiss” was a bit of a disappointment. It’s far more dreamy and airy (and repetitive) than one might expect, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – but it didn’t have that attitude, that oomph, that Dua Lipa has come to be known for.

2. “Psycho (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)” by Post Malone

Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesTy Dolla $ign and Post Malone perform onstage during the 2018 American Music Awards.

Number of streams: 673,847,477

Post Malone has some impeccably crafted, impossibly catchy hits. “Rockstar,” in particular, comes to mind; “Congratulations” is one of the most perfect dark-pop songs in recent memory.

Although “Psycho” is the epitome of Post Malone’s signature pseudo-hip-hop (topped off with lazy songwriting), compared to his best work, it’s a complete let-down.

Post Malone’s biggest strength is his ear for melody, and he’s at his best when he infuses that weirdly graceful voice with an energetic undercurrent. But “Psycho” feels like he’s moving through molasses. Pitchfork writes it’s “perfect for the current climate of passive listening that only exists as a means to fill playlists.”

1. “SAD!” by XXXTentacion

Number of streams: 717,959,682

XXXTentacion, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, lays claim to one of the most-streamed songs of 2018, second only to Drake’s “God’s Plan.”

The rise in popularity for the late Florida rapper, however, was inextricable from his highly disturbing past. As the singer’s friend and fellow rapper Denzel Curry once said in an interview with HotNewHipHop: “The thing with X is, when he got into trouble, that’s what blew him up.”

When he was shot and killed in June, XXXTentacion was awaiting trial for a long list of criminal charges, including domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and aggravated battery of a pregnant woman – accusations the alleged victim detailed in a January 2017 deposition. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained his innocence until his death.

All said, the continued interest in and support of XXXTentacion is baffling – particularly in the era of #MeToo and cancellation culture. Regardless of whether “SAD!” is even good (it’s not), it’s upsetting to see it on a fan-favourite list of any kind.